Of Nostalgia, Trust, and Intimacy: AI Tool Usage among the Undergraduate Students of Bangladesh in Nonacademic Contexts

Abstract

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and large language models have created a new dynamic of student engagement beyond academic contexts. While prior research focused on AI’s role in providing academic and emotional support, less is known about the motivations to personalize AI, its diverse usage, and the intricate relationship between AI and the student population, especially in the context of the Global South. Our study fills this gap with findings drawn from 21 semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in Bangladesh, revealing usage as companionship, intimate partnership, worldbuilding, reminiscence of dead family members, and prioritization of AI over human relationships. These findings shed light accounting the local cultural norms on shaping AI adoption in Bangladesh, highlighting both opportunities and risks, and provide essential insights to inform necessary guidelines. We further connect our findings to the broader issues in Human-AI interaction and offer future research directions.